Tesla's Cybertruck sales predictions may be too optimistic

Tesla cheerleaders will likely be skeptical, but others might put some added weight behind an analysis by high-profile investment firm Morgan Stanley that markedly reduces sales estimates of Tesla’s upcoming electric Cybertruck.

Enormous hype has surrounded the truck, which was introduced in 2019. Unconfirmed reports have circulated that Tesla has to date received 1.6 million preorders and will sell hundreds of thousands Cybertrucks annually. But the Morgan Stanley report punctures that balloon, saying the pickup “will more likely be an enthusiast/cult car with far more limited volume,” around 50,000 units per year.

Tesla has indicated that production will begin this summer in limited quantities, ramping up to mass production by next year, according to company chief Elon Musk. The EV was originally supposed to start at $39,900 in its single-motor configuration.

Quoting the report from InsideEVs, the Morgan Stanley researcher writes, “We feel the Cybertruck carries more value in a cultural/zeitgeist sense than in a direct economic sense. At the same time, we encourage our readers to ask themselves: how many Cybertrucks can roll up to a parent-teacher conference or youth soccer match at the same time before losing some of that indescribable … something?”